1. Field
The present subject matter relates to an ultrasound diagnostic system capable of enhancing portability of a portable ultrasound diagnostic device and simultaneously superior ultrasound diagnostic performance and quality of the portable ultrasound diagnostic device through extension of probes and/or signal channels as occasion demands.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrasound diagnostic systems have noninvasive and nondestructive characteristics. Ultrasound diagnostic systems provide medical doctors with high resolution images of inner tissues of objects, without a need for surgical operations to directly incise the objects to observe the objects. The noninvasiveness and high resolution images of the ultrasound diagnostic systems promote wide use of the ultrasound diagnostic systems in the field of medicine to obtain information on objects within a human body.
Such ultrasound diagnostic systems, however, are very large and heavy, so need to be fixed to particular places. Since even small size ultrasound diagnostic systems are 10 kg or more in weight, they are not easy to carry. Meanwhile, since ultrasound diagnostic systems are used in emergency rooms, operation rooms, or any other places, where the ultrasound diagnostic systems must frequently be moved, the ultrasound diagnostic systems need to be small. Needs for small size ultrasound diagnostic devices encourage development of portable ultrasound diagnostic devices.
FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a portable ultrasound diagnostic device according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, one probe 101 is generally mounted at the conventional portable ultrasound diagnostic device 100 for portability, and the portable ultrasound diagnostic device 100 has a limited number of signal channels corresponding to the probe 101. Although the conventional portable ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is suitable to promote convenience of portability or movement, there is an extreme limit as to the number of probes to be mounted at the same. Consequently, since only a particular sort of probe may be mounted at the conventional portable ultrasound diagnostic device 100 due to limitations on number of probes mounted on the ultrasound diagnostic device 100, the conventional ultrasound diagnostic device is used for limited purposes of particular diagnosis.
In addition, the conventional portable ultrasound diagnostic device has a limit as to the number of signal channels to be provided for the sake of portability, which thereby deteriorates resolution and quality of produced ultrasound images.
Furthermore, since portable ultrasound diagnostic devices have many limitations in terms of size, weight, power consumption, and the like, the portable ultrasound diagnostic devices show poor ultrasound diagnostic performance and quality compared with cart-based ultrasound diagnostic devices.